Diogo Costa recalls Casillas heart attack: “It was a shock” | OneFootball

Diogo Costa gave statements this Wednesday at the Palace of Justice in Porto as part of the civil case brought by Iker Casillas against FC Porto and Fidelidade. The former Spanish goalkeeper is claiming 3.7 million euros following the acute myocardial infarction he suffered on May 1, 2019, during a training session at Olival.

At the time, 19 years old and already working with the first team, the Porto captain described to the court the episode in which Casillas felt unwell. “I don’t really remember what year it was, but I remember the episode perfectly. You don’t forget things like this. It was a more tactical training session, with the goalkeepers more involved in possession and with little intervention, more geared toward the team. I remember seeing Iker sitting down, stretching, and suddenly, ‘ow, ow, ow.’ There was confusion, it was a shock. It was the first time I had witnessed something like that,” he said.

Asked by Casillas’ lawyer about the conditions in which the session took place, Diogo Costa added: “It was a moment of great distress, with the doctor around him. It was around 11:30 a.m., thereabouts, late in the morning.”

The Portugal international also detailed the type of work the goalkeepers were doing that day. According to his testimony, the training session was mainly tactical and involved limited physical demands for players in that position, at a time when the season was nearing its end.

“There is always some light preparation in the gym before training. Each person has their own chronic issues, so there are certain mobility precautions. It is done about half an hour beforehand and lasts approximately 20 minutes,” he began by explaining.

“That day it was a more tactical session, with few dives, nothing very demanding, more footwork and possession with the team. We did coordination and activation work, which we always do. The basis is the warm-up, with precautions to avoid injuries, and it lasts 15 minutes,” he continued.

Diogo Costa explained that the main objective of the exercise was to work on collective organization, so it took place in a smaller area and required less intervention from the goalkeepers. “As it was a more tactical exercise, it wasn’t on the full pitch, it was narrower, more about playing with the feet. On these days, the goalkeepers are not put under very great strain. There was no sequence of shots or high physical demand; it was more about simulating situations that can happen in a match.”

The goalkeeper also said that, with the season already close to ending, the coaching staff’s priority was more focused on the players’ recovery between matches than on increasing the physical workload. “Each coach has their own way of seeing things, but in May the concern is more about response, about being recovered. The physical demand is greater at the start of the season. This is the general working method of coaches.”

Regarding the period following the heart attack, Diogo Costa said he does not remember seeing Casillas again at the training center. “After the heart attack, I don’t remember seeing Iker at Olival again. I only remember seeing him being helped and going to the hospital.”

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇵🇹 here.